Gardening with kids
One of the benefits of being back in the UK and not living in the Middle East, is that without the searing 50°C heat, we are able to grow plants and vegetables. Last summer we grew some tomatoes which the boys enjoyed planting, watering and picking.
Most of the boys interest in gardening come from their Nanny who encouraged the boys from a very early age to “help” her grow potatoes, onions, strawberries, rhubarb, courgettes, carrots and a few other things that they love to eat in her own garden.
Whilst we are currently renting where we live we are not able to dig up the garden and create a vegetable patch, we are able to make use of pots and growing bags to have a very mini allotment.
Last weekend we went to the local garden centre and farm shop and bought some colourful plants to pot, and some herbs, fruit and vegetables to plant.
Whilst a two year gap between the boys is relatively small, our youngest attention span is significantly less than his older brother, and after a few minutes he was off on the trampoline.
Planting a mixture of decorative plants for colour and herbs provides a variety of stimuli for the boys; colour, texture, smell, and taste.
To give some responsibility to the boys for the garden we potted a strawberry plant for each boy to tend and water over the summer, and hopefully once the fruits grow they will be able to pick them and eat them (once washed) straight off the plant.
“Come on and grow. We want some strawberries!”
If we can keep the boys away from the water hose when our backs are turned, the plants may live long enough to grow!